Patent GB-1150921-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Locking Devices
Inventor: WAKEFIELD NORMAN ROBERT
IPC: E05B53/00
Filed: 1966-02-21
Abstract: 1,150,921. Remotely operated fastenings. N.R. WAKEFIELD. 20 Feb., 1967 [21 Feb., 1966], No. 7504/66. Heading E2A. A locking device comprises a sleeve member 15; an elongate member 16 slidably received in a bore 21 of said sleeve member for axial movement relative thereto, at least one of said sleeve and elongate members having a transversely extending bore; an engaging element 33 accommodated in said transversely extending bore and movable between an engaging position, where it engages both the sleeve member and the elongate member thereby coupling said sleeve and elongate members for movement together in an axial direction, and a disengaged position, where the sleeve member can move in an axial direction relative to the elongate member and not transmit axial motion thereto; and electrical means e.g. a solenoid 36 for causing or allowing the engaging element to move from said disengaged to said engaged positions. As shown the sleeve member 15 is slidably mounted on a flange 17 of an angle bracket 18 so that the first member is capable of limited sliding motion with respect to the angle bracket; the angle bracket is intended to be secured to the interior of the engine compartment of a car closed by a bonnet lid. The sleeve member is biassed to one position by a spring 19. The member 16 is a rod having two cylindrical portions 22, 23 and an intermediate ramp portion 24. The portion 23 is, in use, coupled to a cable 28 which terminates in an operating knob 12 in the saloon of the vehicle. The sleeve member 15 is coupled to another cable 11 which operates the bonnet lid fastening ; hence when the members 15, 16 are coupled together, pulling the knob 12 releases the bonnet lid, whereas when they are not coupled together pulling the knob 12 causes the member 16 to slide in the bore of the member 15. The engaging element is a plunger which is mounted in a housing 31 which screws into the transversely extending bore in the member 15 the plunger being engageable with the ramp portion 24 of the member 16 and being biased towards the ramp portion by a spring. Near its upper end the plunger is provided with a notch 35 which is normally engaged by a shaft 37 of the solenoid 36, the engagement of the solenoid shaft with the notch holding the plunger out of contact with the member 16 so that the members 15 and 16 can move rela- 'tively to each other. When the solenoid is energised the shaft is withdrawn from the notch so that the plunger is then urged into engagement with the ramp portion of the member 16, pulling the knob 12 then causes the plunger to come into engagement with an annular abutment surface 25 between the portions 22 and 24 of the member 16, further movement of the knob causing movement of the member 15 to release the bonnet lid fastening. When the solenoid is de-energised the shaft moves into engagement with the plunger above the notch and when the knob 12 is released a spring (not shown) restores the knob 12 to its normal position and the spring 19 restores the member 15 to its normal position the movement of the member 15 causing the plunger to ride up the ramp portion 24. Manual movement of the knob then causes the plunger to move onto the cylindrical portion of member 16 until the solenoid shaft can engage the notch to hold it in the inoperative position. In a modification the ramp surface of the second member is omitted and the plunger and its housing are also omitted; instead of the plunger a ball is used which is normally contained in a transverse said bore in the member 16, so allowing relative movement of the members 15 and 16; the solenoid is mounted so that when it is energised the ball is attracted and moves upwardly so that it is partly in the fore in the member 16 and partly in a recess in the solenoid armature which is screwed into the transverse bore of the sleeve member so that the two members are coupled together; in this construction the solenoid must remain energised throughout the releasing operation.